Product Description We are proud to offer you the oak-aged "Trio" Red Wine Vinegar from Katz and Company. Two years in the making, this terrific vinegar is crafted using the traditional "Orleans" Method. It's a blend of carefully selected vintages of Merlot, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon from the heart of one of the world's great wine appellations, the Sonoma Valley. "Trio" has been crafted to mirror the classic Meritage blends where small lots of selected red varietals are mixed to create wines of great structure and character.

The finished blend is well balanced and full-flavored and retains the varietal characteristics of the grapes with nuances of cherry, raspberry and oak.

Usage Suggestions Finally, we've got an authentic vinegar made here in the USA that can be used to enliven your favorite dishes and create distinctive dressings and sauces. The Sonoma Trio already a favorite of many of America's top restaurant chefs. Try reducing it for sauces for meats or grilled peaches or figs, and use it in dressings…mmm.

The Making of VinegarVinegar is one of the original "slow foods" - in millennia past it was used as a beverage, in cooking and as the basis of many sauces.

Over time, art has yielded to industry, and the traditional slow methods, such as the Orleans method, gave way to large "generators," which could produce uniform batches of vinegar in days rather than months or years. This is accomplished by adding heat and oxygen to the tanks along with a considerable amount of agitation, and results in vinegars that look and taste the same year after year, with little to none of the flavor characteristics from the base wine surviving.

The 500-year-old Orleans method relies on quality wine, oak barrels, time, and an artisan's judgment. Specialized bacteria, acetabactors, are introduced into the wine with oxygen creating the perfect environment for the conversion of alcohol to acid. The process is driven by Mother Nature, and it can take anywhere from three to six months. Then, all but 10% of the finished vinegar is drawn off and placed in oak barrels for aging; the remainder is left in the converter to be used as the "mother" for the next batch of vinegar. More wine is added to the conversion barrel and the process begins again.

Note about shipping: Vingar has a tendancy to freeze when shipped in the Winter, especially if the ship-to location is below freezing. Although we pack the vinegar as well as we can to avoid freezing, we suggest that you avoid having the package sit on your door step for a long time, if it is colder than freezing outside where you live. To help us avoid freezing, please either have it shipped to a location where someone is availble to bring the box inside when it arrives, or ship it via 2-Day air to minimize sub-freezing temperatures for extended periods of time.